UKC

... as one of the best places to rock climb in the world (though obviously Pembroke beats it anyway):

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2020/apr/23/the-best-places-to-r...

In reply to David Barlow:

And the only UK entry is the Lakes. Obviously a very US-centric selection with a few fairly random other places thrown in.

In reply to David Barlow:

Stupid article. And what a rotten tilted shot of Castle Hill.

In reply to David Barlow:

Why do so many people overlook Norway so much? Is it the weather? 

https://cdn.civitatis.com/noruega/svolvaer/galeria/islas-lofoten.jpg

In reply to David Barlow:

There's another piece on the Organ Pipes in Hobart lower down...

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/feb/28/tasmania-climb-mount-welling...

In reply to Red Rover:

I have had a lot of trouble convincing people to go to Norway. The most commonly cited reason is the price of beer.

In reply to David Barlow:

No El Cap? No Hobby Moor?

In reply to d_b:

I really don't get it. There's so much potential. For example there's a crag in Norway which is about 2 miles long and 200 to 600 meters high. All perfect granite, the approaches are less than an hour and it's 3 hours drive from a city. There are only about 80 routes on the whole thing so you can climb new routes on it if you can lead around E2/3 on granite, and I was there on a summer weekend and I didn't see anyone else. This is just one crag that I happen to know because I drove there accidently, the whole country is full of them. 

https://cdn-files.apstatic.com/climb/110604922_medium_1494341178.jpg

Compared to that does the price of beer really matter? I can drink any day in the UK! Or am I taking it too literally? 

The weather is bad though. 

In reply to David Barlow:

Are you referring to that small grey shiny slabby stuff just outside Sheffield?

In reply to Red Rover:

Lovely photo. Is it bottom right where Erik's campervan went off the road?

In reply to Robert Durran:

Where's the Lakes one? Am I missing something?

In reply to Tom Valentine:

I don't know sorry! It's not my photo. I should stop looking at them a I was meant to be in Norway this summer. 

In reply to David Barlow:

Seemed to have somehow missed off Stannington Ruffs ! obviously an error.

What a bizarre selection !

In reply to jon:

I followed a link near the top of the article to the actual book which a has a full list of all 50 places in the book. Most of the more obvious US places are there. It seems a pretty random smaller selection of "overseas" places outside N.America.

In reply to Red Rover:

It makes no sense to me either. I'm not going to be drinking that much anyway. Hangovers and multipitch don't mix well, and a couple of nights out hardly register next to the overall cost.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Ah OK, I hadn't seen that, thanks. There are some pretty unbeatable venues in that list, but as you say rather US centric... which of course makes a change from being grit centric.

In reply to Removed User:

... That's 2 of my global Top Five, and the others don't make it either (Cloggy, Gogarth and Taghia).

In reply to David Barlow:

The Guardian has simply extracted some photos from a third party author's book of the top 50 best climbing destinations in the world.

Furthermore, Stanage is not a world class climbing destination. Many outside of The Peak/s might argue that it wouldn't even make the top 10 in the UK.

In reply to Cusco:

Stanage isnt even UK top 20 material. There's at least 10 better crags in the lakes, never mind scotland

In reply to LakesWinter:

As long as people love Stanage, visitor numbers to other crags is reduced. don’t blow it!

In reply to LakesWinter:

and yet, spending most of my time outside the UK nowadays, I really miss climbing on Stanage but I can't say the same for the Lakes.

In reply to LakesWinter:

Guess it depends what you're looking for... If easy access to a lot of routes is high on your priority list, it probably has a lot going for it. If you're into soloing I can certainly see why it would be great to wander along with so much to take a quick fix on. I know climbers who refuse to even try Ceuse due to the 40 minute walk in, so what might make a great crag is clearly a subjective thing.

But in terms of quality, would it even make a top 20 UK sandstone crags list?

I haven't spent much time on torridonian sandstone but my brief into would suggest there's probably quite a lot of crags better than stannage within Wester Ross, never mind across the whole of Scotland. If you offered to transport Ardmair or Stannage to my back yard, Stannage wouldn't even get a second thought.

In reply to Ciro:

Don't diss stanage! When I lived in the peak it served several extremely important purposes, the most important of which were hoovering up the bank holiday hordes and keeping most of the car thieves in one place.

Couldn't do without it.

In reply to d_b:

Stanage is a fabulous crag.

In reply to LakesWinter:no , there really isnt.  From a foreign point of view Stanage is a great place to visit, but I can't think of anything similarly 'unique ' in the lakes. 

In reply to wbo2: now then, let me think , for about 5 seconds .......I'm going... black crag ( mainly because it has special place in my heart ) , a collection of what ,anywhere else's ,would all be three star classics , from vs to E4 , multipitch , 20 minutes walk, evening sun . Stanage is alright and that, but they're all a bit short aren't they ? 

Edit : anybody who hasn't sat at the top of the platform where troutdale pinnacle , raindrop , etc etc ...watching the sunset over Derwent water having completed a three star classic is missing out on one of life's treats . I've just decided that when all this nonsense eases and it seems appropriate to  ( deleted " ends " ) I'm going to do just this on the first sunny evening . 

In reply to wbo2:

This is an important point when considering a "best in world" book. People generally travel for what they can't have at home - they travel for what is world class in that country. Stanage is arguably world class of its type but the Lakes is probably not. You go to the Costa Blanca for the bolt clipping but not the trad, you go to Wadi Rum for the long scrambly routes but not the bolt clipping, you come to the UK for the sea cliff climbing but not the bolt clipping or mountain trad. You go to the US for everything except sea cliff climbing.

In reply to Robert DurranMike123:  I think that's the point I'm trying to make.  I live in Southern Norway and I can't think of anything in the lakes that's a particularly standout place to visit.  Some are good, some are alright and a lot are comparatively mediocre equivalents.

Yes Stanage is a bit short (is there anywhere long in the Lakes? ) But there's also a lot of good, clean and interesting climbing with a rich history in a concentrated area.  People I know form here who've visited grit have all raved about it, and the sea cliffs.  How would you describe Font? Is that a world class area?

In reply to Rob Parsons:

agreed. although I would say that yes, all of those locations are world class (perhaps excluding the artificial wall in Innsbruck as it could be anywhere), the shot of castle hill doesn't do it any justice. 

In reply to wbo2:

Never been. Probably never will go. Seems a long way to go just to go bouldering and never looks inspiring to me in photos (but bouldering types do seem to rate it ).

In reply to wbo2:

I don't remember much of my couple of days climbing in the Lakes, mostly longer scrambling routes. I remember a lot of the few times I've been to Stanage, would be nice to return one day.

So, the not very serious ranking of places I've climbed in the UK:

1. Peak

2. Orkney

3. Skye - not Cuillin

4. Cornwall

5. Lakes

6. Skye - Cuillin

7. A small bouldering gym in Cambridge.

In reply to Derry:

In my view, the wall in Innsbruck is one of the few where there is absolutely no doubt that it is world class.

In reply to HansStuttgart:

You CANNOT be serious.

I think you need to get in more.

In reply to Robert Durran:

I know, believe me. The gym here is still closed though